D.R.E.S. died on June 9 at age 51 after a yearslong battle with kidney disease. His family and friends remember a gifted entertainer, someone who was passionate about supporting creatives. D.R.E.S.’ advocacy for the local arts scene and independent music communities made him a favorite with locals, transplants and hip-hop legends.
Credit: Jenni Girtman
Locally, the origins behind the lore of D.R.E.S Tha Beatnik, can be traced back to 1991 when he enrolled in Clark Atlanta University to study marketing. His classmate Ray Bond, who lived in the same dorm, said D.R.E.S. dedicated himself as a student to pleasing crowds and creating his lane in hip-hop at on-campus events.
“Andre was a solid, positive, artistic dude and a great speaker at 18 years old. We knew guys like him had ‘it’ and would be successful in entertainment. They were charismatic, conscious and not as wild as the rest of us in Brawley Hall,” Bond said.
D.R.E.S. began to make a name for himself after college hosting events and performing in the underground hip-hop scene at venues like Yin Yang Café, which later became Apache Cafe.
Credit: DeVon Hunt
Jason Orr, creator of FunkJazz Kafé Arts and Music Festival, met D.R.E.S. in 1994 at the inaugural pop-up event at the Royal Peacock on Auburn Avenue. When FunkJazz Kafé moved to the Tabernacle, Orr said he trusted D.R.E.S. to serve as its master of ceremonies after he performed at FunkJazz Kafé with hip-hop artists Special Ed and Doug E. Fresh.
“He understood movements. D.R.E.S. had a routine where he performed each live instrument like (beatboxer) Doug (E. Fresh) does and could put it all together. He was one of the elites in the world of human beatboxing who was true to the craft, would come in and share his gift, so I just let him run,” Orr said.
“He would be in different areas showcasing his different disciplines. I would give him the microphone while I checked the box office or another suite.”
D.R.E.S. created events, including The Mighty Mighty Beat Down, a producers competition, and The World Famous Mic Club, a freestyle rap battle started in 2001 at Apache Cafe.
Event host David “Fort Knox” Freeman Jr. made his Atlanta debut with Almost Famous, an underground artist showcase, in 2005. He used D.R.E.S.’ crowd control as the host of Mic Club as inspiration for his own energetic stage presence.
Credit: Mercury Storm
“He had great timing and could come up with call-and-response phrases. He showed me how I could manifest my own energy, do things with my own flair and rock the crowd. We supported each other, but it eventually became a healthy competition,” Freeman said, referring to D.R.E.S. as “his mentor and big brother.”
“He was at the forefront and walked around with confidence, so I had to keep pushing,” he said. “I wanted to come off as effortless, natural like him, build my momentum and notoriety to the point where I was (in the) top spot.”
D.R.E.S. became a mainstay at A3C Hip-Hop Festival and One Musicfest. He beatboxed and performed with hip-hop artists Killer Mike, Slick Rick, De La Soul and Digable Planets, among others.
Jabari Graham, who created a traveling art installation and hip-hop show, Arts Beats + Lyrics in 2005, invited D.R.E.S. to begin hosting in 2012. He said D.R.E.S. is irreplaceable.
“He had great showmanship in front of the audience and relationships with the DJs. We would go to several markets, D.R.E.S. knew several people who would come to see him and give him hugs. People are going to miss him in every city we’ve gone to,” Graham said.
Credit: Kat Goduco
Major corporations and consumer brands also took notice of D.R.E.S’ reach in Atlanta’s independent hip-hop scene. In 2011, Janet Smith, Red Bull’s former culture marketing manager, recruited him as host of the inaugural Red Bull EmSee, a freestyle rap battle.
She said his passion for hip-hop culture was sometimes a challenge for her colleagues. “He was a big personality. His enthusiasm and persistence could be a bit to manage and getting him to work within the corporate framework sometimes could be a lot,” Smith said.
“It always came from the best place. He was a person who genuinely wanted to see Atlanta and its uniquely underground music scene win.”
Offstage, D.R.E.S. was a die-hard fan of the Philadelphia pro sports teams, especially his beloved Eagles. Atlanta resident Terrell Thomas, a Philadelphia native and owner of sports and entertainment website These Urban Times, regularly saw him at Rocky Mountain Pizza, where D.R.E.S. led fellow Eagles fans in chants during games.
Thomas said D.R.E.S. helped him adapt to moving to Atlanta in 2010.
“I said the word ‘Jawn’ while playing basketball, and he asked if I was from Philly. It gave me the feeling of being at home. I’m glad God allowed us to see the Eagles win the Super Bowl this year,” he said.
Credit: Terrell Thomas
D.R.E.S. loved spending time with family. He and his fiancee, DeVon Hunt, launched their event production company, BEATnik Media, in 2018. Outside of being business partners, Hunt called him “her life-size teddy bear.”
“He was extremely romantic, always giving big hugs and kisses. We would laugh and cut up all the time, hang around small groups of family and friends,” she said.
Credit: DeVon Hunt
The year D.R.E.S. and Hunt launched BEATnik Media, he was diagnosed with kidney disease and started dialysis treatments. He didn’t let his health stop him.
D.R.E.S. and Hunt attended Atlanta Jazz Festival this year right after he was discharged from the hospital.
“He was hospitalized in March, April and May, and I slept in a chair next to him the night before Memorial Day weekend, but he still wanted to go,” Hunt said.
It’s witnessing that same resilience in the face of serious health challenges that inspired Freeman. “He came out to events to support us, continued to be an ambassador and positive human being even with all that he was dealing with. He never let his circumstances defeat him,” he said.
D.R.E.S. died at home in his sleep with Hunt by his side. A candlelight vigil in Cabbagetown was held in his honor on June 13. Guests shared memories and posed for photos in front a mural dedication painted by Chris Veal before D.R.E.S. passed.
Credit: Jenni Girtman
In the time since D.R.E.S. passed, hip-hop producers Pete Rock, Diamond D, The Roots drummer Questlove and Mayor Andre Dickens shared touching tributes.
Freeman said D.R.E.S.’ biggest contribution to Atlanta is taking pride in advocating for its underground hip-hop and creative scenes.
Credit: Jenni Girtman
“This is a time to celebrate life, love and uplift him. He got busy onstage and was passionate about everything he did,” Freeman said.
“This is a harsh blow to the community, but his legacy is thoroughly solidified and will live on.”
About the Author
Christopher A. Daniel is a Black Culture reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He is an Atlanta-based, award-winning journalist, cultural critic and ethnomusicologist. He previously taught courses at Morehouse College, Clark Atlanta University and Georgia State University.
